Tuesday 30th
October 1917
As expected, 4th
Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment has been in action today, for the first time
here at Ypres. Altogether four divisions have made attacks towards the village
of Passchendaele and its spur.
The
southernmost attack was made by 12th Brigade of 4th Canadian Division. The
Canadians have suffered heavily, but have taken all their objectives, including
Vienna Cottage and Crest Farm. Best of all, patrols pushed into Passchendaele
found that the Germans are leaving. No attempt was made to force the village,
on the basis that it it wasteful to attack a place the enemy are yielding up.
It is hoped that the village can be occupied in the next few days as the
division is now consolidating on the western outskirts..
Part of the
reason why the Canadians of 4th Division did not advance further is that 3rd
Canadian Division, on its left flank, had a more difficult time. Snipe Hill and
Duck Lodge were taken, as were Furst Farm, Source and Vapour Farms but they
could not advance quite as far as the 4th Division, which tempered its advance
to make sure the line kept abreast.
63rd (Royal
Naval) Division used its only formation of army troops, 190th Brigade, in its
attack. They went over the top at 5.50 this morning and struggled in the vile
conditions underfoot, clinging mud and standing water around the stream called
Paddebeek. To make matters worse the enemy dropped a barrage just behind the
advancing British barrage and right onto the advancing troops. This evening we
are hearing that the division has managed to cling on to the line running
through Source Trench, Varlet Farm, Bray Farm and Berks Houses which had been
taken by the division in the attack of 26th October. Preliminary figures from
the Bedfords suggest that two officers have been killed (Captain L C T Gate and
Second Lieutenant A E Tee) and seven wounded; amongst the other ranks 52 are
reported killed, 150 wounded and 23 missing(1).
On the left
flank of the 63rd Division an attack was made by 58th (2nd/1st London) Division
using 174th Brigade. An advance of about 100 yards was accomplished and
pillboxes around Noble Farm have been taken as has a mound overlooking the
Spriet road.
Source: X550/5/3
(1)
Lieutenant Cecil Hootton Wareing would die of his wounds on 1st November and is
buried at Dozinghem Military Cemetery. A total of 850 Canadians were recorded
as dying on that day. Deaths from the British units taking part in the attacks
this day number about 500 with 93 men from the Bedfordshire Regiment recorded
as dying.
